


in the woods somewhere

by xrutherfords



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5742016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xrutherfords/pseuds/xrutherfords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its been thirty years since the destruction of the second Death Star.</p><p>Luke Skywalker has disappeared.</p><p>The Jedi Order is gone.</p><p>Now, the Force is a myth--nothing more than some "hokey religion." </p><p>In the midst of this turmoil, the notorious First Order have risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire. </p><p>They have one goal: eliminate Luke Skywalker and the Republic.</p><p>This is Aela's story.</p><p>***</p><p>hi my name is ari and i'm terrible at descriptions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	in the woods somewhere

_"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."_

**Obi Wan Kenobi**

* * *

“Where’s the healer?” A gruff voice shouted over the panic that had erupted in the village. Grabbing an elderly woman by the collar of her shirt, he dragged her closer to him. She stared back in horror, her wide eyes reflected against his stormtrooper helmet. “I said,” he began, tugging on her collar once more, “Where. Is. The. Healer.” She desperately tried prying his gloved fingers away from her, unintelligible sobs escaping her throat as she shook her head violently. He whipped his blaster out of its holster, pressing the eerily cool metal to the temple of her forehead. The woman began to cry out even more, her eyelids squeezed shut as she pleaded for her life. “Where is the fucking healer?” He forced the gun to her head once more, “I know the bitch is in this village, you have until the count of three to tell me where Aela Lionne is.” The woman began to wail.

  
“One.”

  
She screamed.

  
“Two.”

  
She dug her feet into the ground, desperately trying to scramble out of his grasp.

  
“Thr-”

  
The elder pointed a wrinkled finger to the South, where a few cottages on the outskirts of the village were settled. The trooper jerked his head in that direction, and then back to the woman.

  
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He spat. Shoving his blaster back into the holster, he threw the woman to the ground and gave her a mock salute before marching toward the outskirts of the village.

 

* * *

 

  
“Aela, darling pack up your things and go.”

  
“But father-”

  
The older man grabbed her shoulders, his eyes bloodshot with grief. “No buts. You must go.”

  
“Can you please just tell me what’s going on?” She begged, lightly placing her hand on her father’s trembling arm. “What does the First Order want?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye for a brief moment. He turned to her and pulled her into a warm embrace as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

  
“Just go. Run the forest and do not look back--no matter what you hear.” He murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He kissed the top of her head and stepped away, handing her a worn knapsack.

  
She nodded her head and reluctantly took the bag from his shaking hands. She hoisted it over one shoulder and turned for the back door. As she began to turn the knob she heard her father’s hollow voice call out, “I will always love you Aela--remember that.” She glanced over her shoulder and whispered, “I love you more, da.”

The door shut.

 

* * *

 

  
_It was at the age of eight when Aela first began to emit signs of the Force._

_She and her older sister, Mira, were running through the grassy fields that were just outside of the village. They sang and laughed with their voices at the top of their lungs, when Mira suddenly lost her footing and tumbled to the ground with a yelp. Aela anxiously rushed to her sister’s side and cradled her trembling body. Mira’s eyes watered and her lip quivered, until fat, hot, heavy tears flooded down her cheeks. She had scraped her knees in the fall, along with a formidable gash right above her knee cap that was full of pebbles and dirt. A small trail of blood began to flow down her leg, and Mira began to sob._

  
_“I’ll go get mother--stay right here.” Aela said in a hushed tone as she sprung to her feet, but before Aela could run back to the village, Mira quickly grabbed her arm and yanked her to back to the ground._

  
_“Please don’t leave me, I’ll die out here! I’ll never walk again!” She blubbered dramatically. “Please don’t go!”_

  
_Torn and frightened, Aela squeezed her eyes shut and held her sister close. Aela could feel her sister’s pain, her sister’s worry. The more Aela honed in on her sister’s fright and anguish, the more Aela could feel it herself, in herself. She clenched her jaw and gripped Mira’s hand tightly. There was a sharp ringing in her ears, and slowly she placed her tiny hand above the gash on Mira’s leg. Aela’s eyebrows furrowed together, with her eyelids still screwed shut as she focused all of her might on the pain that seemed to erupt from her sister._

  
_“Aela what are you--”_

  
_The biting agony that resided in Mira’s very being began to dissipate._

  
_Mira was wide-eyed as she stared at Aela’s dimly glowing palm that rested above the gash on her leg, when a feeling of complete serenity washed over her. The pain in her leg began to weaken, until it was nothing but a mere flicker of discomfort. Mira narrowed her eyes and gasped, the wound was healing--the flesh was mending!_  
_“My leg! Look!”_

  
_Aela’s eyes snapped open, the dim glow of her palm faded, and the wound on Mira’s leg still remained--but was at the beginning stage of scabbing over nicely._  
_Mira’s eyes darted across Aela’s face, searching for any sort of reaction, for some kind of answer._

  
_“We have to tell ma and da.”_

  
_A lump remained in Aela’s throat as she gazed at her own trembling hands._

 

* * *

 

“First Order business. Open the door. Now.”

  
“Da, what are we going to do?” The young woman muttered, fear evident in her voice. Her eyes were wide as she stared her father down, desperate for an answer.  
“Mira, go to the back room with your mother, I’ll handle this.”

  
She nodded her head and scurried to the back of the cottage, her bare feet padding against the wood floor.

  
Slowly and shakily, he opened the door, only to be met with a party of armed troopers.

  
“Val Lionne.” The trooper in front said curtly.

  
“This is he.” Val replied, his eyes scanning the group of soldiers in front of him.

  
“Aela Lionne.” The first trooper began as he took a step forward and placed his right hand on the door, in his left hand was a menacingly bloodied blaster. “We need her. Hand her over now and no harm will come to you or your family.”

  
Val swallowed hard, his eyes darting from the trooper in front of him and to the group of troopers behind him that each held a rifle.

  
“Mister Lionne.” The first soldier barked, pressing on the door with an urged force. “I am not a patient man, so answer me this one simple question: where in the ever-loving fuck is Aela Lionne?”

  
“She’s not here.” Val replied, his grip tightening on the door.

  
“Well, Mister Lionne, would be so kind as to enlighten me on her whereabouts?” The trooper snapped back, pushing harder.

  
Val stared back, his heart rattling in his chest. Time, he thought, I just need to give her time. “I--” He began, but was promptly cut off.

  
“Times up, Mister Lionne.” The trooper hissed, taking a step back and forcing the door fully open this time. The trooper motioned for the rest of the soldiers to enter the home. “Search everything. We need the Lionne girl alive.”

  
Val sat behind the door hunched over, wiping his bloodied nose on the sleeve of his tunic. He groaned, bringing himself to his feet. The impact of the door being forced open left his face bloodied and bruised. Suddenly, Val felt a cool metal being dug into the back of his neck.

  
“Now,” The chillingly familiar voice began, “Where is your daughter?”

 

* * *

 

  
_The second time Aela began to emit signs of the Force was at age twelve._

_Aela and Mira, along with some children from the village were playing in the nearby forest, with the sounds of their carefree laughter echoing throughout the trees. They ran and jumped and climbed, all dirty feet and knobby knees. It was then that the lot of them stumbled into a vast clearing that overflowed with all things green and pure. In the center of the meadow stood a large tree of oak, with its branches scratching against the hazy summer sun, and its roots digging deep into the cool, dark ground. The children stood in awe, they had never seen anything so grand--so beautiful, in their lives. Slowly they stumbled to the great oak, their eyes sparkling with innocence and curiosity._

  
_“I’m going to climb it, all the way to the top.” A girl of only fifteen proudly announced with her hands on her hips._

  
_“No way, you’d never make it.” Another added, a boy this time, as he pressed his hands against the rough bark. He jerked his head to the side, with a lopsided grin “I’ll race you to the top.”_

  
_The girl gave him a toothy smirk, “You’re on.”_

  
_The children chattered amongst each other excitedly, a race!_

  
_Side by side the contenders stood, their eyes focused on the top of the oak. The branches were low enough to climb with relative ease, the real danger was the impressive height of the tree itself._

  
_“On the count of three, start!”_

  
_The two of them stood next to each other, ready to pounce._

  
_“One…”_

  
_“Two…”_

  
_“Three… Climb!”_

  
_The boy and girl began to claw their way up the tree, eagerly grabbing branch by branch and digging their fingernails into the mossy bark. The children below hollered and cheered with their hands high in the air. The two of them scrambled from branch to branch with their legs swinging in midair._

  
_“I knew there was no way you’d beat me!” The girl shouted, her hands cupped around her mouth. “I’m almost halfway there!”_

  
_Below the oak, the children cheered._

  
_The boy frowned as he hung from a leafy branch, “Its...its not over yet!” He glanced down, suddenly noticing how high up he really was. Swallowing his nerves he hoisted himself up onto the branch, his eyes focused on his next target. He dug his fingernails into the bark and pulled his upper body onto the branch. Smiling, he jerked his head up at the girl who was still ahead._

  
_CRACK._

  
_His eyes were wide and his jaw dropped._

  
_SNAP._

  
_The branch was bending, it was breaking--it couldn’t hold his weight._

  
_And then he plummeted._

  
_His world was spinning with a flurry of greens and browns, desperately he grabbed for any branch, any twig, any leaf that was near him._  
_Screams of the children below filled the silent clearing._

  
_THUD._

  
_He hit the ground._

  
_The children huddled around him, staring at his bruised body._

  
_“Someone! Go get help! Go to the village!” One of the older children shouted, pointing to the forest. “Go get Apothecary Lionne! Quick!”_

  
_The boy groaned, his body trembling._

  
_In the back of the huddle, stood Aela and Mira with their eyes wide._

  
_“Aela.” Mira whispered, nudging her sister in the arm. “Can you do something?”_

  
_Aela looked to Mira and then back to the boy, “I can try.”_

 

* * *

 

  
Her bare feet pounded against the ground. Her heart thumped erratically in her chest. Her blood went cold. She ran.

  
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared on the treeline that lay ahead. She ran.

  
She wanted to turn back to safety, to her home, to her family. She ran.

  
The forest, she thought, Get to the forest. She ran.

  
Hot and heavy tears raced down her cheeks. She ran.

  
She ran and ran and ran until a blood curdling scream rang out. She stopped.

  
Whipping around she jerked her head back--her stomach lurched.

  
“There she is! The healer! Someone alert the Captain!” A trooper shouted, pointing at her wildly.

  
She ran faster.

  
She could hear the clanking of the stormtrooper’s armor chasing after her, her heart rattling wildly.

  
The forest was getting closer, she felt a flicker of hope dance in her stomach. Her feet were splintered and bloodied, her eyes stung with salty tears.

  
A single gunshot tore through the air, followed by a screech of terror.

  
Aela dug her feet into the ground to a halt, she could feel pain, suffering. The stench of blood filled her nostrils, causing her to gag.

  
“Miss Lionne, I think that it would be in your best interest to stop right there.”

 

* * *

 

  
_“Please, let me see him.” Aela murmured as she pushed through the small crowd. “I can help.”_

  
_She kneeled by his side and scanned his injuries, frowning slightly. The boy had many cuts and bruises all over his body, his shoulder was definitely dislocated, and his legs had to be broken. Silently she worried about the wounds he suffered beneath the skin. She shot him a sympathetic glance and gently placed her hands on his shoulder, shutting her eyes and focusing the entirety of her being onto his energy. A soft glow emanated from her palms, causing the children surrounding them to gasp and whisper. The boy tensed and began to grind his teeth in pain, a small hiss erupting from his throat. In her trance Aela softly hushed him, and continued to press her palms against the shoulder wound. Slowly, but surely, the wound began to mend. With an audible “pop,” the shoulder was put back into place. The boy let out a sigh of relief, but still tensed up at the remaining pains that raked through his body._

  
_Opening her eyes she studied the wounds once more, and focused her attention to his disfigured legs. Biting her lip she snapped her eyes shut once more, and lightly placed her palms above his right leg. The soft glow radiated from her palms once more, and the boy tensed. Slowly, very slowly, the flesh was mending--the bone was reconnecting. Sweat dripped down Aela’s forehead, her hands trembling before the dim glow faded out. The children gasped._

  
_“Aela!” Mira yelped, pushing through to grab her younger sister._

  
_“Step aside, younglings! Let me see the boy!” Apothecary Val Lionne called as he sat opposite of Aela and Mira. His eyes went wide with worry, “Mira--your sister--what’s wrong?”_

  
_Mira held her sister’s exerted body and looked at their father, “She used the power.”_

  
_“By the Maker.” He sighed, his shoulders drooping. He shook his head and turned his attention to the boy, who lay between them. Quickly Val took out various poultices and herbs from his pack, and began to prepare them. “Mira, take your sister home, let her rest. Let her rest.”_

  
_Mira nodded, and eased Aela onto her feet._

 

* * *

 

  
She stood there, too fearful to turn around, too frightened to move. Aela snapped her eyes shut, and balled her hands into tight fists. With a great reluctance, she turned around and slowly began to open her eyes. Her jaw dropped, her body went numb, a small gasp escaped her throat. There, her father Val Lionne lay, his body bloodied and battered. He was alive, she could sense it, she could feel the faint beat of his heart through every fiber of her being. A blood stained trooper stood above him with a rifle, his gaze focused on her.

  
“We’ve been searching for you for a very long time, Aela Lionne.”

**Author's Note:**

> my friend's and i are currently sitting in a circle in the dark writing kylo ren fics aka we have no self respect
> 
> anyway!!! this is my first time posting and i hope its not too awful!! enjoy!!!
> 
> also i just watched adam driver on snl
> 
> im gone


End file.
